Multiple roll mill with means for spacing the rolls while being rotatively driven



July 28, 1953 2,646,935

M. G. HILL MULTIPLE ROLL MILL WITH MEANS FOR SPACING THE ROLLS WHILE BEING ROTATIVELY DRIVEN 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 28, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

I E I L17 sggwee gaevgg ArraRlViY July 28, 1953 2,646,935

M. G. HILL MULTIPLE ROLL MILL WITH MEANS FOR SPACING THE ROLLS WHILE BEING ROTATIVELY DRIVEN Filed Oct. 28. 1949 a Sheets-Sheet 2 8A I and; 4419' J7 9 45 I 7 2 46 8' b (I 5 619 (26 V 56 2 70 E v c 7/ a 64 ffiia 4 i i I l July 28, 1953 M. G. HIL E- 7 2,646,935

MULTIPLE ROLL MILL WITH ANS FOR SPACING THE ROLLS WHILE BEING ROTATIVELY DRIVEN Filed Oct. 28, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Ic:-- 5 ff J6 -j a;

. 5 6/ v 9 fi f; 76 9?" 9 iv 7% I 3 e2 I 79 I 5 75a I a; I a Za a I I I I/l/IIIl/j gAr-r'aRAM-Y M. G. HILL MULTIPLE ROLL MILL WITH MEANS FOR SPACING THE ROLLS WHILE BEING ROTATIVELY DRIVEN July 28, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 28, 1949 5 a I 2% v q d I 3 mwfir e m 6 /l/ltl!lfllllllilflllllll'lllllllllllr' INVENTOR. 4 ww, or '5 d z'ok'msy I I I m 1 July 28, 1953 L WITH MEANS FOR SPAGING BEING R M. G. HILL MULTIPLE ROLL MIL THE ROLLS WHILE OTATIVELY DRI Filed Oct. 28, 1949 VEN 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIE-.11

' INVENTOR. 916W 5. 364/6? Arrbnms'i 7 III/IIIIIl/A July 28, 1953 2,646,935

M. G. HILL MULTIPLE ROLL MILL WITH MEANS FOR SPACING THE ROLLS WHILE BEING ROTATIVELY DRIVEN 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Oct. 28, 1949 A TIE-:15

IN V EN TOR.

July 28, 1953 THE ROLLS WHILE BEING ROTATIVELY DRIVEN Filed Oct. 28. 1949 3 Ew-IE I &4

H W I k; "I?

76 w g I 44- 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 IN V EN TOR. QEA Jay 9. 56%,

\\\ ,4 ribfl/vsy July 28, 1953 M. G. HILL 2,646,935

MULTIPLE ROLL MILL WITH MEANS FOR SPACING .THE ROLLS WHILE BEING ROTATIVELY DRIVEN Filed Oct. 28, 1949 s Sheets-Shet 8 ATTORNE Patented July 28, 1953 MULTIPLE ROLL MILL WITH MEANS FOR SPACING THE ROLLS WHILE BEING R- TATIVELY DRIVEN Marley G. Hill, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Charles Ross & Son Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 28, 1949, Serial No. 124,221

6 Claims.

My invention relates broadly to roller mills for grinding and, dispersing paint and the like, and more particularly to an improved construction of roller mill including means for precisely adjusting .the relative positions of the rolls.

One of the objects of my invention .is to provide an improved roller mill for grinding and dispersing paint in which a multiplicity of rolls are arranged to operate at differential surface speeds to impart rubbing or dispersing-action to the paint, with yieldably adjustment means for controlling the spacial relation of the rolls.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of roller mill for grinding and dispersing paint including at least three coacting rolls driven at widely different speeds and adjustable one with respect to another through screw adjustment means and operative to feed paint to the nip of two of the differentially operating rolls for delivery over the surface of the third differentially operating roll.

Still another object of my .invention is to provide a construction of regulated grinding and dispersing mill for paint and the like in which a rubbing and dispersing action is obtained over the surfaces of a multiplicity of coacting rolls where the'paint to be ground is delivered to the nip of two of the .rolls and collected irom the surface of a coacting roll 'ina thoroughly ground and dispersed form, and the spacial relation of the rolls .controlled with a high degree of precision to meet variable characteristics encountered in different paints.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a construction and arrangement of improved roller mill for grinding @and dispersing paint and the like including a multiplicity of ccacting-differentially driven rolls where the rolls are mounted for relative adjustment, the adjustment means for both ends of the rolls being operated from one end of the mill.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of adjustment means for the individual rolls of a multipleroll mill, in which the relative adjustment of the rolls is controllable by a manually controlled device from one end of the mill without going to opposite ends of the mill to make individual adjustments of the positions of the roller bearings.

Still anotherobject of my invention is to provide a construction .of roller .mill employing a multiplicity of coacting rolls in surface contact one with another, including means .for selectively controlling the spacial relation of the rolls while the rolls are being rotatively driven.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the construction of a compact grinding and dispersing mill unit as set forth more fully in the specification hereinafter following, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the grinding and dispersing roller mill of my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the roller mill; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partially broken away and shown in section on line -33 of Fig.2, showing more particularly the drive to the front roll; Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view showing the eccentric arrangement for one set of rolls only;

' Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view showing particularly the arrangement of the front roll, the middle roll and the back roll; Fig. 6 .is a detail sectional view of the back roll; Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the front roll; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 9 showing more particularly the means employed for accomplishing the eccentric adjustments; Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional View taken longitudinally of the middle roll taken on line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2; Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view showing more particularly the mechanical construction of the middle roll, and the arrangement of temperature control means therein; Fig. 12 is an end elevational view of the roller .mill on a somewhat smaller scale; Fig. 13 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially centrally of the roller .mill substantially on line 13-43 of :Fig. 2, showing more particuarly the coacting rear, middle and front rolls, together with the coacting scraping knife; Fig. 14 is a transverse vertical sectional view showing more particularly the arrangement for driving the rolls, in this particular illustration the motor shaft being shown in section and driving the front roll through a sprocket chain; Fig. 15 is a similar view to Fig. 14, but looking from the side and showing more particularly the driving means for the middle and rear rolls; Fig. 16 is a theoretical view showing the path of travel-of the paint through the roller mill during a grinding and dispersing operation; Fig. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner of supporting the right hand end of the rolls from the main frame asviewed in Fig. 10; Fig. 18 is a view illustrating the manner of supporting the right hand ends of the rolls from the main frame of the mill as viewed in Fig. 10; Fig. 19 is a top plan view of the supports for the rolls with the casing of the machine illustrated in transverse section, the view being taken substantially on line I9I9 of Fig. 18; Fig. 20 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 2020 of Fig. 18 with the roller bearing supports and the plate members omitted for clarification; and Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the bearing support in which the right hand ends of the transversely extending cam shaftsare journaled.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character I designates the main frame of the roller mill, which forms at la the lower supports for the bearings for the middle roll 2. The top portions of the bearings for the middle roll 2 are illustrated more particularly in Fig. 8 by plate members 3. The plate members 3 in turn form supports for the bearings for the front roll 4 and the rear roll 5, by means of pins 6 and I, which enter the front roll bearing support 8 and the rear roll bearing support 9, as represented in Fig. 8. These bearing supports are all located at opposite ends of the rolls and into which the reduced section ends of the rolls extend. The bearing supports 8 and 8 are pendently suspended from the plate members 3. and are free to move about the pins 6 and I as axes, for adjustment of the front and rear rolls with respect to the middle roll. The rear bearing support 8 and front bearing support 9 both include dependent lug portions IG and II thereon displaced from the vertical axis of the roll bearings carried thereby, which are slotted at Illa, and Ila for the passage of the roll adjustment screws I2 and I4. The roll adjustment screws I2 and I4 extend from the cam bearings I and IE located adjacent opposite ends of the rolls, as shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 8-10. The cam bearings I5 and I6 surround the transversely extending shafts I9 and 20 adjacent opposite ends thereof. The transversely extending'shafts I9 and 20 have their ends I9a and 20a projecting eccentrically through journals at opposite ends of the shafts in bearing supports 2I and 22 adjacent the horizontally extending partition plate Id of main frame I and immediately below the frame portion I2 which extends beneath the rolls 2, 4 and 5.

The bearing support 2I for the left hand ends of transversely extending shafts I9 and 20 is integral with the horizontally extending partition plate Id of the main frame I. The bearing support for the right hand ends of shaft I9 and 20 is shown more clearly in Fig. 21 and is in the nature of a bracket having horizontally extending bearing apertures 22a and 22b therein for supporting the ends IBa and 20a of the transversely extending shafts I9 and 20. The bearing support 22 is secured through the side of the main frame I and attached thereto by means of lugs 22c and fastening bolts and nuts. The bearing support 22 has a horizontally extending integral portion 22d which extends beneath the lower support Ia on the right hand end of the horizontally extending top portion of the main frame shown at Ia, and is connected therewith by the through-bolts 3b extending through plate member 3 and screw threaded into screw threaded apertures in the horizontally extending integral portion 22d of bearing support 22. Thus the right hand ends of shafts I9 and 20 receive ample bearing support both from the horizontally extending top portion of the main frame at Ie immediately beneath lower support Ia and also from the side wall of the main frame I.

One end of the shafts I9 and 20 projects outside of the cover member 23 for the right hand gear casing 24, and is provided with manually controllable lever members 25 and 26, adapted to be adjusted angularly over the quadrantal guides shown at 21 and 28 in Fig. 12. By movement of the manually controllable levers 25 and 26 the rolls are selectively oriented as shafts I9 and 20 move about their eccentric extensions I9a and. 20a, which in turn impart movement to the cam bearings I5 and I6, respectively, thereby displacing the roll adjustment screws I2 and I4. The roll adjustment screws I2 and I4 extend through coil springs 29 and 30 and through the apertured plate members 3| and 32 and through the slots I Ia and Illa in depending lug portions II and I0 of the front and rear bearing supports respectively, and form yieldable connections between cam bearings I5 and I6 and the lug portions II and II of the roll bearing supports 8 and 9. The roll adjustment screws I2 and I4 then passthrough roll adjustment spacer members 33 and 3 1, which have substantially spherical end surfaces 33a and 34a which engage within socket-like recesses in the depending lug portions II and ID, as represented at IIb and Nb, which function as bearings when roll adjustment screws I2 and I4 are oscillated by the eccentric action of the cam bearings I5 and I6 respectively. Adjustable nuts I2a and Ida are secured over the ends of the roll adjustment screws I2 and I4 and bear against the roll adjustment spacer members 33 and 34. The ends of the roll adjustment screws I2 and I4 may be displaced into the offset end caps lb and I0 carried by the main frame I. Thus, a very precise movement is imparted to the front and rear rolls 4 and 5 by movement of the manually controllable levers 25 and 25. The front and rear rolls 4 and 5 may thus be linearly advanced or retracted from the middle roll 2. The cover member 23 for the right hand gear casing 24 and the cover member 35 includes all of the adjusting parts of the mechanism which I have described. A left hand casing 36 is removably mounted at the left hand end of the main frame and serves to streamline the appearance of the roller mill, at the same time providing ready access to the electric motor 31 mounted within the main frame I. The right hand gear casing 24 and the left hand casing 36 are provided with louvres 2 8a and 36a, respectively, for the circulation of cooling air through the roller mill. Removable liner or oil pan 38 is mounted within the casing 24 as shown in Fig. 10.

The motor 31 is mounted on plate 40 secured to main frame I through support M. The motor shaft 42 carries pinion 43 thereon, which engages the sprocket chain 44, driving gear 45 carried by front roll 4 tensioned by idler wheel 46 carried by shaft 41. The front roll 4 carries on the end thereof opposite to the end represented in Fig. 14, the pinion 48. Pinion 48 at the end of the roller mill opposite the end of the roller mill at which gear 45 is located, meshes with gear 49 carried by the middle roll 2, as shown in Figs. 15 and 5. The middle roll 2 carries on the end thereof remote from the end carrying gear 49 the pinion 50, as shown in Figs. 14 and 5. The opinion 50 meshes with gear 5I carried by the rear roll 5, as shown in Figs. 15 and 5; thus the rolls are simultaneously driven from motor 31 and in a particular ratio which I have found productive of particularly efficient operation. The front roll 4, rear roll 5 and middle roll 2, by virtue of the gearing which I have described, have imparted thereto differential speeds in a ratio of approximately 3 to 1. That is, the rear roll .5 revolves at approximately 30 R. P. the middie roll 2 rotates at approximately 90 R. P. and the frontroll =4 revolves at approximately 270 R. P. This ratio of speeds, obtainable by the arrangement of gearing which I have described, is important, because of the necessity for the dispersing action in paint to which I have heretofore alluded;

The process of operation is illustrated in Fig. 16 where the material represented at 52 is :deposited in the valley between the rear roll '5 and the middle roll 2, and is confined therein by end plate regulators or color blades 53 and :54, shown particularly .Figs. 1 and and 13. Color blades "5?) and 54 are adjustable toward .and away from rear and middle rolls 5 and '2, and also adjusted linearly of the rear and middle rolls 5 and 2, by mounting means represented more clearly in Figs. 1,2, '10 and I3. A'frame 55 is supported on standards "56 and 5 which are erected on cover members 23 and 3-5, and have a linearly extending bar member 58 therebetween. "The bar member 58 is provided with spacedlinear slots 59 and 60 therein, through which screw members 6'! and 62 extend. Screw members 51 and 6-2 are fastened to the color blades 53 and 54 and are provided with wing nuts 51a and 62a thereon by which the color blades may be secured in predetermined position according to the character of the mix which is supplied to the rolls. The mix maythus be confined'to a certain area of the'rolls, either centrally therein, or at one side thereof inc-trough. Due to the rotation "of the rear roll 5 and the center roll 2 toward each other and downwardly, that is, rear roll =5 revolving in a clockwise direction while middle roll 2 revolves in a counterclockwise direction, the material 52 indicated in Fig. 16 is drawn between the nip of the rolls at the junction '63 thereof. Due to the differential speeds of the rolls at their surfaces, the material is given a rubbing or-dispersing ac-. tion somewhat similar to the mortar and pestle action utilized by apothecar'ies. The middle roll 2 having a greater speed than the rear roll '5 causes the larger portion of the material 52 to adhere to the surface of middle roll 2 in a thin film, which is drawn around the middle roll '2 and up to the center "where it .is dispersed again by contact at 64 with the front roll '4. The front roll 4, in turn being drivenat a still greater speed, tends toremove the film .of material from :the surface of the middle roll 22 and fit is transmitted on the upper surfaceiof the front roll 4 until itcomes in contact with the apron represented at '65,

which is provided with a scraper lcnife 2&5 which scrapes the material oif the surface :of front roll 4 in thickness less than 1101", as :best shown .in Figs. 1'3 :and 16. From this process is apparent that the capacity .or production of the mill isgovemediby the speed which 'inturnzis governed by the :adhesive qualities of the material to adhere to the fast or front roll 4 as this factor determines the amount of material which will leave the roll by centrifugal force. The fact that the roll surfaces are always traveling in the same dimotion as they contact each other and .at differential :speeds, produces the dispersing .action.

Apron 65 is "mountedwith respect to the main frame of the roller mill :as shown .moreiclearly in Fig. 13, wherein apron 65 is in the form of an outlet chute tapered to the discharge end 65a thereof, shown in Figs. -1 and '2, and supported by screw "adjustment stud 61 having an adjustment nut "E8 thereon and passing through a coil spring '69 and through sleeve 70 and into the socket H in the main frame :I. The screw adjustment stud 61- has a head 12 thereon supporting the underside of the apron near the discharge end 65a therein. The upper end of the apron 6-5 is provided with lugs 5512, which are slotted as .represented at 550, and through which securing screws 13 pass. Apron 65 is fulcrumed around screw 13, so that adjustment of .nut 68 on .screw adjustment stud '6'! serves to control the position of the scraper knife 65 with respect to the rotating surface of front roll 4 for shearing the layer of paint from the high speed surface of front roll 4 for discharge through the discharge end 65a. The slot 650 facilitates assembly of the chute $5 in a position for effecting theshearing of the film from the surface of front roll 4.

The rolls 2, 4 and 5 are controllable with respect to temperature, for obtaining a condition of operation'most efiicient for the grinding and dispersing of the material. This is accomplished by constructing the rolls in tubular form, with one end of each of the rolls plugged or obstructed, as represented by plugs '50., 2a and 4a in Fig. '5. Into the hollow interior of each of these .rolls I extend an injection tube represented at 14, 1-5 and T6. The injection tubes connect through individual valves 11, 1 8 and 19 with a manifold 80, which extends transversely of the rolls Within the drain housing 8| to a position beyond the drain housing where the manifold is provided with a master valve 82 and a connection leading to the sup-ply line 83. The drain housing 8| is apertured at the end thereof in alignment with the individual valves 11, 18 and 19, which are controllable through hand wheels 11a, 18a and 19a, to allow entry of the temperature controlling medium to the individual rolls. The drain housing 8| is provided with a cover portion cm which may be raised to the dotted line position 8m shown in Fig. 10 in securing access to the interior of the drain housing 8!. The drain housing 8| is connected through a waste pipe 84 with the waste for discharging the temperature controlling medium. For purposes of maintaining the required operating temperature of the rolls, I may use water for cooling the rolls, or compressed air, or steam may be introduced through the injector tubes. The important point is that the rolls are individually controllable as to temperature "through individual valves interposed between the supply manifold and the injector tubes. In each instance the open ends of the rolls 2, 4 and 5 receive the injector tubes. In order to guard against leakage of the temperature controlling medium, at the extreme end of the rolls I provide tubular sleeve members shown at 2?), 4b and 5?), fitting within the internal bore of the respective rolls 2, 4 and '5 and extending'beyond the cover member 35 and into the drain housing 8!, terminating in outwardly extending flanges 2c, do and 50 respectively. The internal bores of the tubular sleeves 2b, 4b and 5b are such that displacement of the rolls 2, 4 and 5 may be effected with respect to each other, be-

cause adequate clearance is provided between the injector tubes and the interior walls of the tubular sleeves.

One of "the advantages arising out of the construction embodied in the roller mill of my invention-is the fact that adjustment of the spe cial relation of the rolls may be effected while the roller mill is in operation, and without shutting downthe roller mill, which maybe necessary in structures requiring individual adjustment of 7 the bearings at each end of the roller mill. The limits of adjustment are always within the limits of the inter-engagement of the driving gear teeth, so that these adjustments are of film thickness limits. Moreover, the rolls may be selectively adjusted with respect to each other by reason of the individual control provided by manually controllable levers 25 and 26, permitting separate degrees of adjustment between front roll ti and middle roll 2, or between rear roll and middle roll 2, enabling the results of the grinding and dispersing operation to be readily observed by the operator while adjustments are being made from the same point, and while'the roller mill is running. To facilitate such precise adjustment the manually controllable levers 25 and 26 are provided with detents such as represented at 25a and 26a in Figs. 1 and 2, which bear. frictionally against quadrantal guides 21 and 28 for selectively maintaining the manually controllable levers 25 and 26 in the positions in which they are set.

Throughout the drawings I have indicated bearings for the opposite ends of the rolls. I desire that it be understood that these may be roller bearings or ball race bearings. Fig. shows how the rolls are assembled in the bearings in a way in which the rolls may be removed and replaced for servicing. The left end of the middle roll 2, as viewed in Fig. 10, is supported in a bearing 3a in left plate member 3. The left plate member 3 is supported from the main frame I by a lower support Ia integral with the mainframe I similar to the right hand end of the machine shown in detail in Fig. 8. Suitable securing bolts may extend through lower supports Ia into the plate members 3 to maintain the relative position of the middle roll with respect to the front roll i and rear roll 5. The front and rear rolls 4 and 5 may now have their left hand ends inserted through the bearing in bearing supports 8 and 9 that are suspended from the left hand plate member 3.

The right hand plate member 3 is inserted over the right hand roll 2 so that end bearing 3a in right hand plate member 3 encircles the right hand end of middle roll 2. The right hand plate member 3 is then aligned with and supported on lower support Ia which is mounted on bearing support 22 secured to main frame I as shown at the right of Fig. 10. Suitable fastening bolts may extend through lower support Ia into the right hand plate member 3. The bearings for the right hand ends of front and rear rolls 4 and 5 are slipped over the right hand ends of these rolls during the assembly of the right hand plate member 3 over the end of the middle roll. The assembly is now ready for adjustment which is accomplished as heretofore explained by manipulation of the adjustment screws I2 and I I for adjusting the relationship of the rolls, The cover members 23 and 35 are now positioned on the machine preparatory to operation of the machine.

The lower supports Ia at opposite ends of the rolls are integral with the main frame I at each end of the rolls as shown more particularly in Figs. 17-20. The lower supports Ia are integral with the horizontally extending top portion of the main frame I shown at le and carry the weight of the rolls from the main frame of the machine. The plate members 3 are supported by the lower supports Ia that are integral with the main frame I of the mill. The plate members 3 are secured in position on lower supports Ia by means of fastening bolts 3b that extend through theplate'members 3- and enter screw threaded openings in supports Ia. Thus solid support is provided for the plate members 3 directly from the solid wall of the main frame I and the ex-. tension thereof through the horizontally extending top portion I6 and the upwardly curved fiat supports Ia integrally connertedtherewith. The supports Ia. are sufiiciently narrow in width to enable these supports to extend beneath the front and rear rolls 4 and 5 and between the axes thereof. In each instance the bearings are-supplemented by oil seals which I have indicated at and 86. There is a pair of oil seals for each end of the rolls and oil seals 86 immediately adjacent the ends of the roll are provided to prevent foreign material from entering along the roll journal. Oil seals 85 prevent oil from leaving the housing. I have schematically shown both oil seals carried by the same ring housing but it will be understood that individual ring housings carrying the individual oil seals may be provided and in fact in many instances are preferred.

I have found the roller millof my invention highly practical in the production of thoroughly mixed and dispersed pigments and paints. The case by which the rolls are spacially' controlled from one end of the mill, making it unnecessary to go to opposite ends of the mill to individually adjust the bearings of each of'the rolls, renders the roller mill very practical in use. Also, the roller mill or machine is very compact, and in the structure illustrated it is entirely practical to construct the machine within an over-all length of 33"; an over-all width of 24"; an over-all height of 30"; and utilize a motor of one hp. The weight of such a machine is approximately 800 lbs. I have constructed larger size machines generally distinguished by roll diameter and face such as 4 /2" x 10", 8'- x18" and 14 x 32". These sizes are given by way of examples and without intending to restrict my invention in any way to this range of sizes.

While I have described my invention in certain of its preferred embodiments, I realize that modifications and changes will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and I desire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A roller mill for grinding anddispersing paint and. the like comprising a frame structure", a middle roll, journals for said middle roll carried by said frame structure, suspension plates extending from the journals of said middle roll,- means supporting said suspension plates from said frame, roll bearing supports pivotally and pendently suspended by said suspension plates, front and rear rolls journaled in said roll bearing supports on opposite sides of said middle roll; lug portions depending from said roll bearing supports and resilient means engaging said lug portions for controlling the positions of said roll bearing supports with respect to said middle roll for yieldably controlling the spacial relationfof said front and rear rolls with respect to said middle roll, and cam bearings yieldably connected with the lug portions of said roll bearing supports and disposed in a plane extending beneath said rolls.

2. A roller mill for grinding and dispersing paints and the like comprising a frame structure, a middle roll, journals for said middle roll carried by said frame structure, suspension plates extending from the journals of said middle roll, means supporting said suspension plates from said frame, roll bearing supports pivotally and pendently suspended by said suspension plates, front and rear rolls journaled in said roll bearing supports on opposite sides of said middle roll, lug portions depending from said roll bearing supports and resilient means engaging said lug portions for controlling the positions of said roll bearing supports with respect to said middle roll for yieldably controlling the spacial relation of said front and rear rolls with respect to said middle roll, wherein said means engaging the said lug portions on said roll bearing supports include yieldably connected cam bearings, shaft members extending substantially parallel to said rolls and beneath said rolls, eccentric cams carried by said shaft members and engageable with said cam bearings and manually controllable levers on said shaft members for revolving said shaft members and imparting movement to said eccentric cams for correspondingly moving said cam bearings and adjusting the position of said roll bearing supports and the spacial relation of said rolls.

3. A roller mill for grinding and dispersing paint and the like comprising a frame structure, a middle roll, journals for said middle roll carried by said frame structure, suspension plates extending from the journals of said middle roll, means supporting said suspension plates from said frame, roll bearing supports pivotally and pendently suspended by said suspension plates, front and rear rolls journaled in said roll bearing supports on opposite sides of said middle roll, lug portions depending from said roll bearing supports and resilient means engaging said lug portions for controlling the positions of said roll bearing supports with respect to said middle roll for yieldably controlling the spacial relation of said front and rear rolls with respect to said middle roll, wherein said lug portions are bifurcated at the terminating ends thereof and in which the means engaging said lug portions extend through said bifurcated ends and operate to pendently swing said roll bearing supports about the pivotal suspensions thereof in said suspension plates.

4. A roller mill for grinding and dispersing paint and the like comprising a frame structure, a middle roll, journals for said middle roll carried by said frame structure, suspension plates extending from the journals of said middle roll, means supporting said suspension plates from said frame, roll bearing supports pivotally and pendently suspended by said suspension plates, front and rear rolls journaled in said roll bearing supports on opposite sides of said middle roll, lug portions depending from said roll bearing supports and resilient means engaging said lug portions for controlling the positions of said roll bearing supports with respect to said middle roll for yieldably controlling the spacial relation of said front and rear rolls with respect to said middle roll, wherein said lug portions are bifurcated at the terminating ends thereof and are provided with socket-like recesses in the faces thereof remote from the axes of said front and rear rol and in which the means engaging said lug portions are constituted by roll adjustment members extending through the bifurcated ends of said lug portions, spacer members surrounding said roll adjustment members and adjustably fitting into the socket-like recesses in the faces of the bifurcated ends of said lug portions, said roll adjustment members extending through said spacer members, and means for adjustably assembling said roll adjustment members with respect to said spacer members for allowing limited displacement between said roll adjustment members and said lug portions.

5. In a roller mill, a frame structure including parallel extending spaced side plates, a middle roll journaled centrally between said side plates on an axis normal thereto, pairs of roll bearing supports pivotally connected with said side plates in positions substantially above the axis of said middle roll and laterally spaced on opposite sides of said middle roll, r011 bearings carried by said roll bearing supports, with the roll bearing in the roll bearing support on one of said side plates transversely aligned with the roll bearing in the roll bearing support on the opposite side plate, transverse rolls journaled in the transversely aligned roll bearing supports and coacting with said middle roll, depending bifurcated extensions on the lower ends of said roll bearing supports below said last mentioned rolls, and yieldable means engaging said depending bifurcated extensions for adjusting said roll bearing supports toward or away from the axis of said middle roll for varying the spacial relation of the transverse rolls carried by said aligned roll bearing supports with respect to said middle roll.

6. A roller mill as set forth in claim 5 wherein the depending extensions on said roll bearing supports are displaced from the vertical axes of the roll bearings carried by the roll bearing supports in a direction away from a center line passing through the pivotal connections of said roll bearing supports with said side plates, providing a turning moment for substantially horizontal forces exerted on the lower ends of the extensions about said pivotal connections for swinging the transverse rolls toward or away from said middle roll, and wherein the means which engage said depending extensions are yieldable for allowing limited displacement between the rolls after selected setting of the spacial relation thereof.

MARLEY G. HILL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 275,543 Tennant Apr. 10, 1883 342,838 O'Neil et al. June 1, 1886 453,812 Ingraham June 9, 1891 946,107 Canode Jan. 11, 1910 1,321,801 Bausman Nov. 18, 1919 1,359,357 Gerwen Nov. 16, 1920 1,671,356 Diederichs May 29, 1928 1,699,641 Vasel Jan. 22, 1929 1,867,184 Smith July 12, 1932 1,977,098 Thal Oct. 16, 1934 2,199,340 Hawkins Apr. 30, 1940 

